When you book luxury vacation rentals in Costa Rica, something shifts. Your schedule loosens. Your mornings stretch. The version of you that answers emails before coffee fades into the background. In its place is someone with time to look up.
At Hacienda Pinilla, that shift is even more pronounced. Inside this gated stretch of coastline on Costa Rica’s North Pacific, your days unfold across 4,500 acres of forest, fairway, and Pacific shoreline. We’ve seen it time and time again: Some guests gravitate toward the greens. Others head straight for the stables or the surf. And still others settle into a rhythm of sun, sea, and slow afternoons by the pool.
If you’ve ever considered Costa Rica golf vacations, dreamed of riding through cattle country at golden hour, or imagined a week devoted to rest and restoration, you’re already circling your Pinilla personality. The only real question is where you begin.
If You’re the Golfer
If you’re the Golfer, your ideal vacation includes movement, scenery, and good company. You enjoy being active, but you want it wrapped in beauty. A view matters. So does conversation between holes. You’re happy to play early, but you’re just as content booking a later tee time and letting the day warm up first.
Hacienda Pinilla’s 18-hole, par-72 course was designed by Mike Young to follow the land rather than fight it. Fairways bend through tropical forest and open toward glimpses of the Pacific. From the championship tees, the course stretches to 7,200 yards, but it never feels punishing. It feels expansive.
Here, wildlife is part of the experience. The course carries an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary designation, which means the ecosystem isn’t decorative. Deer move through the brush. Birds flash bright against the sky. Coatis sometimes wander near the cart path with casual curiosity. And those stories of crocodiles sunning near water hazards? Well, they circulate for a reason…
Your concierge can arrange tee times, lessons, or full-service Costa Rica golf vacations that handle every detail from scheduling to equipment. But what truly defines this Pinilla personality isn’t pricing or yardage. It’s how you feel walking off the 18th green. Sun on your shoulders. Ocean breeze in the air. A round played in a place that feels worlds away from obligation.
If that sounds like your version of vacation, you’re in good company.
If You’re the Galloper
If you’re the Galloper, you want motion. You want to feel the ground beneath you. You’d rather come home with wind-tangled hair and a few new stories than a perfectly even tan.
In Guanacaste, that instinct runs deep. This is cattle country, and ranching continues to shape the region’s identity, while sabaneros still ride these lands with the quiet confidence of generations before them. Horseback riding here is your living connection to this place, an invitation to get to know Costa Rica on a deeper level.
Guided rides at Hacienda Pinilla wind through forest trails, across open pasture, and down to the beach. Morning and late afternoon departures offer softer light and better chances to spot wildlife. Howler monkeys move through the canopy. Iguanas dart across the path. The air cools just enough to make the ride feel cinematic without ever feeling staged.
And horseback riding is only the beginning.
Playa Avellanas delivers world-class surf, from forgiving rollers to powerful reef breaks. Tamarindo’s mangroves offer kayaking routes where monkeys and birds outnumber boats. Catamaran sails trace the coastline at golden hour. Inland, Rincón de la Vieja serves up volcanic trails and waterfall swims that feel pulled from another planet.
If you’re this Pinilla personality, then you thrive on authenticity and immersion. You don’t want to observe Costa Rica from a distance; you want to move through it. And at Hacienda Pinilla, you can. Concierge handles the logistics. You choose the direction.
If You’re the Glower
Pictured: Casa Bauhaus
If you’re the Glower, you arrive ready to exhale.
You don’t need a packed itinerary to feel fulfilled. You want space. Sunlight. Water. The kind of mornings where coffee lasts longer than usual and the only decision is whether to swim before or after breakfast.
At Hacienda Pinilla, that rhythm comes naturally. Your private villa becomes its own sanctuary. Glass doors slide open. The pool waits a few steps from your terrace. Palms move gently overhead. Time stretches.
Maybe you start your day with a quiet swim. Maybe you wander down to the Beach Club and settle into a lounger facing the Pacific, ordering something fresh and cold without glancing at the clock. The infinity-edge pool feels like it spills into the ocean itself. Waves crash below. Surfers trace lines across the horizon.
If restoration is what you’re after, you’ll find it easily here.
You can book spa treatments at the spa at the Beach Club or at the JW Marriott. Facials, massages, body scrubs, wraps, soaking tubs. Or you can bring the spa to you. In-home spa services transform your terrace or living room into a private wellness retreat. Massage tables set up beside your pool. Manicures under the shade of your rancho. A full spa day that includes transportation, treatments, and lunch can unfold without you lifting a finger.
This is the side of luxury vacation rentals in Costa Rica that often surprises ours guests. Privacy amplifies everything. A slow breakfast feels more indulgent. A midday nap feels earned. Sunset becomes a ritual instead of an afterthought.
If you return home glowing, rested, and somehow lighter, that’s not an accident. That’s intention.
The Secret: You Can Be All Three
Pictured: Casa Costa Blanca
Here’s where it gets interesting: You don’t have to declare yourself one personality and stay there.
You can play 18 holes in the morning, ride through cattle country the next afternoon, and schedule a massage for sunset. You can surf at Avellanas one day and linger at the Beach Club the next. You can wake up energized and go to bed restored.
That flexibility is what defines the experience here.
Inside Hacienda Pinilla, luxury vacation rentals in Costa Rica feel different because everything lives within reach. The golf course is minutes away. The stables are part of the landscape. The Beach Club anchors your afternoons. Trails thread through forest and coastline. Restaurants, spa services, and adventure tours fold easily into the week.
You don’t have to choose a single version of vacation. You can let the days evolve.
Why Hacienda Pinilla Makes It Easy
Hacienda Pinilla spans 4,500 acres of protected coastline and ranch land. It includes a championship golf course, a multi-million-dollar Beach Club, tennis and pickleball courts, miles of hiking and biking trails, access to the JW Marriott’s dining and spa, and three miles of Pacific shoreline.
It’s gated. It’s secure. It’s expansive without feeling crowded.
For golfers, it offers world-class play within minutes of your villa. For adventurers, it delivers surf breaks, horseback trails, and proximity to some of the most dynamic landscapes in Guanacaste. For those focused on wellness and restoration, it provides privacy, ocean air, and effortless access to spa and beach experiences.
Your concierge coordinates tee times, horseback rides, catamaran sails, private chefs, transportation, and in-home treatments. You don’t spend your trip organizing. You spend it vacationing. That’s the real difference.
Where to Stay
Different personalities call for different spaces.
The beauty of our luxury vacation rentals in Costa Rica inside Hacienda Pinilla is that they’re designed for flexibility. Private pools. Expansive kitchens. Covered outdoor lounges. Elite Service that includes breakfast preparation, daily cleaning, and personalized concierge support.
Wherever you land, you’re positioned to explore every side of your Pinilla personality.
Villa Encantada
8 Beds | 10 Baths | 32 Guests
Prepare to be swept away by the magic of Villa Encantada, a dreamlike estate that offers an immersive experience like no other. This expansive eight-bedroom retreat delivers an opulent yet welcoming vibe, making it perfect for large groups or those seeking a once-in-a-lifetime getaway.
From the moment you step inside, the grandeur of Villa Encantada is undeniable. Every corner feels like it’s been designed for indulgence, with spaces that flow seamlessly from one spectacular moment to the next. The crown jewel of the villa is undoubtedly its private pool, an oasis of calm featuring an aquatic volleyball net, creating an atmosphere of both relaxation and celebration.
But that’s not all. The outdoor living spaces of this home are like stepping into your own private resort – sprawling terraces, lush green lawns, and views that will take your breath away. This is a place for lavish gatherings, intimate celebrations, or simply soaking in the good life as you watch the sun dip below the horizon.
Casa Bauhaus
4 Beds | 4 Baths | 10 to 12 Guests
Casa Bauhaus is a contemporary home blending clean, modern lines with the natural warmth of Guanacaste. Days begin with breakfast prepared by your dedicated housekeeper and unfold around the private pool, where palm trees cast soft shadows across the terrace. With an indoor gym, a soothing sauna, and a cold plunge designed for quiet reset, Casa Bauhaus invites you to move at a pace that feels unhurried and deeply restorative.
Inside, sunlit living spaces open to the outdoors and create a sense of calm that carries through each room. The four bedrooms are airy and inviting and offer plenty of space for families or friends traveling together. Gather for long, easy meals, retreat to the pool for an afternoon swim, or let your personal concierge arrange surf lessons, horseback riding, tee times, or sunset yoga. Here, wellness is not a scheduled activity. It is a natural part of every day.
Guests of Casa Bauhaus enjoy access to the full suite of Hacienda Pinilla amenities, including the Beach Club’s infinity pool and fitness center, the championship golf course, tennis and pickleball courts, extensive trails, and the restaurants and spa at the neighboring JW Marriott. Everything you need to unwind is within a few minutes of your front door. Everything you want to feel restored is already here.
Casa Costa Blanca
7 Beds | 7 Baths | 24 Guests
Craving a hefty dose of Vitamin Sea? Welcome to beachfront Casa Costa Blanca – a luxury vacation home and the perfect spring break retreat! Located at the edge of sea and sky, infused with the energy of the Pacific and warmed by golden rays of sun, welcome to “the life.”
Casa Costa Blanca is home to two master suites, a separate casita, and double living rooms.. Outdoors, spend your days at the palm-thatched outdoor living area, an expansive infinity pool, a sun-splashed and ocean-view terrace, a heated Jacuzzi, and an outdoor rancho with barbecue, and some of the best ocean views in the country.
Your in-house “vacation mom” pulls the entire experience together with cocktail preparation, daily breakfast and lunch, housekeeping and laundry service. Proof positive that you can have it all, if only for as long as spring break lasts.
So, What’s Your Pinilla Personality?
When you picture your trip, what stands out first?
A long fairway framed by palms. A horse’s steady rhythm beneath you as the forest opens to sea. Sunlight on water and the quiet satisfaction of doing absolutely nothing for a few hours.
The beauty of Hacienda Pinilla is that you don’t have to commit to one story. You can move between them. You can be social and solitary, active and restored, adventurous and grounded.
You can golf. You can gallop. You can glow.
And by the end of the week, you may realize the best version of vacation was the one that let you do all three. So, why wait? Get in touch and let’s get started!